Chapter 2 Tanner
Tanner
“Omigod, omigod—you made it! I didn’t know if you would!” Savannah’s arms were a vise around his neck as she bounced up and down.
His cousin’s delighted smile made Tanner feel good that he’d prioritized coming home for this weekend. He let out a throaty laugh and hugged her back. “Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
“Cut it fine though, didn’t you?!”
“I got in late last night. Had to hustle to get here. You know Mom—she found a million ways to hold me back, and Dex sends his apologies, but his flight is booked for the wedding.” He’d spent the past month in the UK with his brother, coming down from the grueling NHL season by hitting the surf in Newquay—an annual tradition.
This year, he’d needed the healing properties of the sea more than ever.
“Hey, man. Good to see you.” Savannah’s fiancé, Griffin, pushed a beer into his hand. “Welcome to Shiverley Cabins. Or ‘Chaos on the Lake’ as we like to call it!”
He wasn’t far wrong by the looks of things.
Running a thumb over the scar on his lower lip, Tanner’s eyes roamed the clubhouse.
He recognized about half of the guests and, guessing by the attention he was getting from the remainder, many of them recognized him, too.
Music streamed from hidden speakers, amped-up chatter and high spirits rising above it.
The scent of meat on the grill had him hoping the wait for food wouldn’t be too long.
“Great choice for your . . . Damn—what are you calling this thing?” Tanner raised an eyebrow.
“Our Bach Bash!” Savannah threw out her arms, spilling Griff’s beer down the front of his Henley.
“As in short for ‘bachelor and bachelorette,’ not the composer. We’re not cultured enough for that.” Griff licked the drink from his fingers. “I suggested the Final Single Mingle, but Sav wasn’t keen.”
“Maybe she’s not willing to limit herself like that,” Tanner said.
His cousin’s punch had some real weight behind it. Luckily it fell on his good shoulder.
“Hey, no physical violence!” He held up his hands. “I’m an expensive commodity.”
“Not here you’re not, bro. You’ve come to the wrong place for fawning and flattery.” Sam Archer’s voice was dry as he appeared by Tanner’s side. “We specialize in squashing egos and general abuse.”
“With a side of we-remember-when-you-drank-puddle-water,” Savannah added.
Tanner dragged his old school friend into a rough embrace. They’d not caught up in person since New Year’s. “But you’ve missed me though, right?” He put more pressure than necessary into his grip on the back of Sam’s neck.
“Well, the world kept turning but the days felt so long.”
Shoving him away, Tanner held out his hand to Sam’s partner, Kash. “Hey, buddy.”
“I hope you’re ready for this.” Kash’s dark eyes glittered with suppressed laughter. “You’ve not signed up for just any old single mingle. This one has an agenda.”
“With organized activities,” added Sam.
“And teams,” Griff chipped in.
“It’s a Bach Bash and it’s going to be fun!” Savannah turned a stern eye on each of them in turn. “If I don’t see everyone having fun, there will be hell to pay.”
“I’m having fun already.” Tanner summoned his winning smile and threw a casual arm around her shoulders. “So much fun. Just hanging out with you guys is a huge thrill for me.”
“Understandable.” Sam gave a sage nod.
“So how do the teams work?” Tanner took a gulp of his drink, enjoying the smooth slide of sweet malt down his throat. “Who’s my plus-one?”
The look that Sam and Kash exchanged meant something but Tanner didn’t know what. “Yeah, about that—” Sam said.
Savannah interrupted. “It wasn’t easy because we weren’t sure you were coming at all. I assumed, until you messaged this morning, that you’d bring Lily if you did.”
Tanner ignored the veiled curiosity behind her words. “Sorry to screw with your arrangements.”
“No apology needed. I’m not sure she’d have appreciated the patchy Wi-Fi anyway.”
His cousin might have said more but she was cut off by Sam. “Surprised you didn’t have a list of subs.”
“I checked my spreadsheets,” said Tanner. “There were so many offers but too little time to make the arrangements.” With a grin, he took another long swallow of beer.
“Yeah, yeah,” Savannah plowed on. “Anyway, most people are paired up already. I was going to put you with my maid of honor—Mia—even though she’s going to be busy running all the games with Griff’s best man . . .”
“Sounds promising.” Tanner flashed his dimple, playing the part even as he continued to scan the busy bar area. “Is she cute?”
Kash chuckled and Savannah pursed her lips. “She’s lovely but I’ve found a better solution. I’ve teamed you up with an old school friend of mine instead.”
Tanner shrugged. “It’s fine with me. I don’t mind who I pair with.” That look again. Just a quick glance but Sam was definitely fighting a smile now. “What? Why the sniggering?” Suspicion flared in his belly. “Do I know them?”
“I’m sure you’ll recognize her,” Savannah said. “Avery’s dad used to be the mayor.”
Tanner’s beer froze midway to his mouth. He raised his eyes to the wooden ceiling while he processed the curveball he hadn’t seen coming.
Of course it would be her.
Out of every possible ex-classmate of Savannah’s, his partner for the weekend would turn out to be Avery Delgado.
His cousin’s eyes were roaming the bar area. When they settled on someone on the other side of the room, she pointed and Tanner followed the direction of her finger. “There—over by the pinball machine. That’s Avery.”
Since the subject of their attention was blissfully unaware, it gave him a chance to study her, cataloging the differences in the woman he hadn’t seen in a decade.
The changes were subtle. Her hair was shorter, her curves a touch fuller in places.
A square-necked floral sundress—simple, short, and cool—draped over bare thighs as she perched on a bar stool.
Gripping a bottle in the pale fingers of one hand and a half-eaten hot dog in the other, she gestured with them alternately and joked with the people around her.
Just a glimpse of Avery’s red hair used to have him smiling like an idiot.
Tanner never knew why but she’d had that effect on him every time.
Like a PB he’d taken harder hits from his own teammates in the locker room.
Spider threads of the past spun out between them—invisible, yet sticky. With guilt and gratitude churning inside Tanner’s chest, he buried the fine residual strand of longing far enough down that he didn’t need to acknowledge it.
“Hey, Stretch,” he said. “It’s been a while.”